Faith Words: Peace In Our Time

It's been just over two weeks since my father passed away.  It seems like much longer in some ways.  Daddy's passing has profoundly affected my family.  Even though we're sad and miss him, his death has a certain sweetness that comes from a life well-lived serving The Lord. But it's not just my family that's suffered the reach of death's hand.  At least three families close to me have lost fathers and husbands in the last few weeks.

Heavy rain and flooding recently caused our trip from Lubbock to Midland to extend from its normal time of just under two hours to more than three as we took detour after detour to evade washed-out roads and high water.

My niece just finished moving from Van, Texas to Ryan, Oklahoma.  I thought to myself: "She's moving right into tornado alley." Her own concerns had her asking God for a sign that she and her husband had made the right move. She got her answer Sunday night when the small home they'd been renting in Van was demolished by a tornado that destroyed a third of that small town.

Good friends were involved in a serious car wreck that could have killed them all.  If you saw photos of what's left of the vehicle, you'd wonder how they survived.  They're still facing long recoveries but thankfully, they're alive.

A major train derailment outside of Philadelphia that took the lives of several passengers and injured many more had others stunned by the realization of how closely they'd missed that disaster, having traveled on that same length of track, on that same train just a day or two before.  It left many more wondering how it could happen in the first place and how it can be prevented from happening again.

Two huge earthquakes struck Nepal not far from the base of the highest mountain in the world, in an area of poverty and overpopulation.  The scenes of people frantically digging in the rubble, hoping to find survivors, bring tears to our eyes and tug at our heart strings.  Even rescuers were at risk, some losing their own lives while they tried to save others.

Violence in our cities and suburbs has people questioning law enforcement and justice, reacting violently and unreasonably themselves in ways that only make things worse and spread the violence and hate further.

Our world is full of negative energy, unstable and violent. Each day we wake up and learn of some new tragedy and sadness that's been unfolding somewhere.  Violence and murder, accidents and earthquakes, tornados and floods. The smallest slight can become the spark that ignites a firestorm of violence and discontent. We wring our hands and wonder what can be done to stop it.  No explanation makes a lot of sense.  We absorb the news and move on, pushing aside that which doesn't touch us personally.  After all, what can one person do?

I read a bedtime story to my granddaughter last night that was based on a My Little Pony movie. Apparently, the mean characters' goal was to cast a spell on everyone else, causing them to exude negative energy by bickering, disagreeing, fighting, thus letting the mean characters rule the world.  The heroine of the story was somehow able to rise above the evil spell and counteract it by broadcasting a message of the love of friendship. This positive energy overcame the negative and saved the day.

We need Twilight Sparkle or Pinkie Pie or whichever little pony it was to come harness the positive energy here and rescue us!  Oh, but wait!  That's our job, isn't it?  Before Christ Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples a message that still gives us hope today.  He hasn't left us helpless.  He sent the Comforter to be with us, to guide us, to remind us of all he taught us.  Why? So we can shine the light of his love into a dark and lost world.

With the power of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, living in us and working through us, we can overcome the darkness.  We can do what God the Father always intended for us to do - we can love one another and let love be victorious!

We shrink in fear and frustration, seeing how great the obstacles and struggles are and forgetting how great the Overcomer is and how great his power is in us.  What would our world be like if each of us put aside the negative influences that try to overpower us and instead permeate our corner of the world with God's love?  What if I stopped taking offense, or rather stop looking for offense, but instead extended forgiveness and mercy to those I encounter? What if I got busy helping others, rather than sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to help?  What if I got serious about my prayer life and actually spent time on my knees praying to my Father, rather than ignoring the evil around me or worrying about it?

Dear ones, we are not powerless. We are not victims. Bad things may happen to us and those we love, but that is not the end of the story.  Evil does not win.  In fact, God has already won!  We just need to remember that and live in the power of his victory. Don't quit. Don't give up. And most importantly, don't become apathetic.

Let God's love fill our hearts and spill over onto those around us, so the whole world can feel the positive energy of His power. What a difference we can make in our world!

Overcoming,

Patrice

John 16:33 (NIV)

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world."